


Speak Now

by hearden



Category: Heroes RPG
Genre: Alternate Universe - Louisiana, F/F, POV First Person, aka the one where rae grew up in louisiana idk she's southern here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-23 21:54:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2557058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearden/pseuds/hearden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some mistakes that can't be fixed, and there are some that can. Rae left Riley to continue her academic career elsewhere. Years and years later, Riley's getting married, and Rae comes back in time to find out if she can right her wrong and win back the girl who turned out to be the love of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speak Now

**Author's Note:**

> For my lovely friends over @ Heroes RPG (http://heroesrpg.tumblr.com).
> 
> Shoutout to Alyssa for making Riley Hicks. And letting me write her decently.

**2017.**

All of high school was watching you with her, seeing you walk down the hallways with her, glancing at how you two held hands underneath the desks in class, fuming until my head hurt. Imagine my joy when you two fought and broke up. Well, I mean, that was mean. I’m sorry. But I’m sure her jealousy matched mine when we went out in senior year. And I’m sure she _loved_ it when I chose Yale over you.

I’m sorry. Connecticut wasn’t freaking worth it, and I missed you every single day. It was boring there, and I didn’t really get to see your face when I graduated. I mean, I Skyped you, but you weren’t there in the crowd. I didn’t get to run and tackle you when everything was done and cry and ruin your shirt. In fact, I didn’t hug anyone, and I cried on my own shirt.

The scholarship I got to medical school was the only reason I stayed in Connecticut, but I probably shouldn’t have done that either. Looking back, I can imagine you sighing and wondering when I’d be back from my road to success, if ever. I can see you, clear as day in my head, deciding that you were tired of waiting. That maybe all I ever was was a prom date and a short-lived high school relationship because, obviously, you didn’t mean anything to me if I chose school over you. And I wish I could go back and stop you and apologize because college could’ve waited and medical school could’ve waited. Acceptance letters can be so tempting, though, and I thought that I was imagining what we had.

Sometimes, I still think I imagined our whole relationship, that I read too much into prom night. Because, seeing you standing at the altar with Charlie - it looks like you’re so happy there. I’m not even on your mind.

I sneak in, and nobody notices me. I’ve been gone out of this town for so many years that I doubt anyone here remembers me anymore. Nobody notices that I don’t check into the guest book or that I choose the last row to sit in where nobody is. It’s not the best place to blend in, but I don’t want to sit next to someone who might recognize me. After all, being in Connecticut made me not get an invitation (you and Charlie probably forgot about me, too - not that I was all that friendly with her, seeing as we _both_ dated you). I bet she didn’t invite me on purpose. I’ll ask her later - whenever it’s appropriate.

Quinton’s at the front, standing between you two and reading aloud, and I feel like that should be us. It could’ve been.

I look at Charlie. Do I want to ruin her life? I start to backtrack when I had jumped forward so fast before. Who proposed? You two are happy together, right? Who am I to try and break that? My hands begin to shake.

I hear Quinton’s voice, drawing forth any objections. Or forever hold it back in my stomach.

Can I? _Will_ I?

You, Charlie, and Quinton are looking out at the crowd, watching for anyone to raise their hand or stand up. You don’t see me yet. Nobody sees me yet. But, when I raise my hand, you look to my eyes first and I just _know_ that you haven’t forgotten who I am. The look on your face causes everyone else to turn around, and suddenly, I’m the center of attention.

Goddammit, Riley, you know I hate everyone looking at me.

I stumble out into the aisle and slacken my jaw, trying to find the impulsive words. “You’re marryin’ the wrong person.” That was kinda harsh. Um. I blink and glance at Charlie who… well, I’m not sure what it looks like when someone wants to kill you, but I’m guessing she’s displaying that very well. You… you just looked really conflicted. Maybe sad. Maybe really, really disappointed in me for crashing your wedding. Ah, jeez, why did I think this was a good idea again?

"I love you, Riley," my voice cracks, "I really do. And I’m sorry I left you, and I’m sorry I chose Yale over you and wanted to become a doctor more than stay here and be with you and, you know what, it wasn’t worth a freakin’ minute." My words slur together, but you get it. And Charlie gets it, too. In fact, your family’s looking a tiny bit miffed at me. Well.

I tremble, but I hold out my hand and walk until I’m steps away from you. I think you can see me shaking. But your hands drop from Charlie’s and fall to your sides. You’re deciding, distraught and confused. You look at Charlie then to me. Do we look similar, reddish hair and all? I always worried that you chose to date me after breaking up with her because I kind of looked like her back in high school. Maybe I’ll know the answer to that now.

I clear my throat and keep my hand steady - surgeon’s hands, after all, “I didn’t come ‘ere to change your mind. But I remembered how much I loved you and I just can’t sit back there and watch another opportunity slip away from me again. I can’t keep walking away without doing somethin’. This isn’t college anymore, and there isn’t some prestigious university about to stupidly lure me away again.”

"What d’you say, Riley?"


End file.
